Portable suction and blower unit



NOV. 21, 1961 E. A. MARTIN 3,009,188

PORTABLE SUCTION AND BLOWER UNIT Filed Sept. 27, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. ELMER KL Vn n/y BY AT 7' ORNEY Nov. 21, 1961 E. A. MARTINPORTABLE SUCTION AND BLOWER UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 27, 19573/0: INVENTOR.

Ems/z A. MHRTIN BY ATTORN Y United States Patent 3,009,188 PORTABLESUCTION AND BLOWER UNIT Elmer A. Martin, 3905 Piedmont Ave., Oakland,Calif.

Filed Sept. 27, 1957, Ser. No. 686,756

3 Claims. (Cl. 15-330) The invention relates to a portable suction andblower unit which is particularly arranged for such personal uses asremoving hair trimmings and/or effecting drying op erations about thehead.

The present suction and blower unit comprises a unitary machine whichhas been particularly designed for such further alternative personaluses of its suction feature as for facial massage or removingblack-heads, or the use of its blower feature for drying the neck andscalp and facial mudpaoks, and a general object is the provision of aparticularly compact and effective self-contained portable machine forselectively carrying out the aforesaid and other related operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide for a removably collectedretention in the machine of hair trimmings and other material from thehead while preventing the escape of bacteria or dust into the air fromthe collected material.

A further object is to provide a machine of the character describedhaving its suction and blowing operations both provided by an electricmotor-blower unit which is actuated in the same rotary direction forboth operations.

An added object is to provide for electrically heating the airdischarged from the motor-blower unit as a drying means.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, be set forth or be apparent in the followingdescription of a typical embodiment thereof, and in the accompanyingdrawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portable suctionand blower unit embodying the present features of invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken at the plane of thebroken line 2'2' in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken at the plane of the broken line 3--3in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a front end view of a nozzle of the unit.

FIGURE 5 is a partly sectional side view of the nozzle of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a plan section taken on the broken line 6-6 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a showing of a portion of the structure of FIGURE 6 in whichcertain elements of the structure are disposed differently than inFIGURE-6.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a slide-valve member of the assembly.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional elevation taken at the line 99 in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 10 presents an electric wiring diagram for the unit.

In general terms, a present suction-and-blower unit 12 comprises amachine providing an electrically operable motor-blower combination foroptionally providing a suction intake or a blowing discharge of airthrough a flexible hose having a terminal nozzle for application at aworking point. As particularly illustrated, the cooperative elements ofthe present portable machine 12 are provided in or on a rectangularcasing 13 having a bottom wall 14, front and rear walls 15 and 16respectively, left and right side end walls 17 and 18 respectively, anda top wall 19. As shown, the rear casing wall 16- comprises a removablymounted closure plate, and all the other bounding walls of the casing 13are integrally related in a one-piece structure which may be molded of aplastic material, or be otherwise constituted.

At an intermediate level in the space thereof, the easing 13 fixedlymounts a cross partition 21 having its side and front edges suitablysupported at and by the casing front wall 15 and the end walls 17 and18. A partition 22 extends upwardly from the horizontal partition 21 tothe top casing wall 19 and between the casing front and rear walls 15and 16 to divide the casing space above the partition 21 into portions23 and 2 4 overlying the space portion 25 beneath the partition 21. Theportion of the partition 21 defining the bottom of the causing space 24is provided with an interior circular opening 26 which freely andcoaxially receives therethrough the electric motor 27 of a motor-blowerunit having its fan assembly 28 lowermost and carried by the motor, andsaid motorblower unit 27-28 is carried on the partition 21 by feet 29extending radially and fixedly from the motor casing and fixed to thepartition 21, with the armature of the motor 217 and the rotor assemblyof the blower 28 mounted on a common shaft 30.

It will now be noted that the laterally-closed cylindrical housing 3-1of the blower 28 is arranged to receive air centrally thereof from belowand to discharge the air centrally thereof at its top for flowingupwardly through and about the motor 27 and into the upper casing space24, while incidentally cooling the motor. As indicated in FIGURE 9, theblower housing 31 is arranged to receive air at room temperature througha central opening 32 provided in the bottom 31' of the blower housingand to discharge the air through the motor and along the motor exteriorthrough the armul-ar passage provided about the motor at the outerportion of the opening 26 'For, providing the foregoing upward air flowfrom the space 25 below the partition 21, the blower 28 has lower andupper rotor sections 33- and 34 mounted directly on the motor shaft andarranged to successively direct the air outwardly and inwardly in thespace of the enclosing portion of the housing 3 1 and thence upwardlythrough and about the motor into the space 24.

By particular reference to FIGURES 1 and 3, it will be noted that thefront wall 15 provides a circular opening 36 opposite the upper cavity23 and arranged for the detachably sealed connection thereat of asuitable flexible air hose 37 having at one end an attaching plug 38arranged for its frictionally held and sealed engagement in aninwardly-directed tubular flange 36 provided at said front opening 36.The other end of the hose 37 is provided with a nozzle 39 arranged forthe in or out flow of air therethrough, said nozzle terminating in agenerally flattened extremity at which an end plate 39' thereof has aline of port slots 39" through and along it; the effective aggregatearrange area of the nozzle slots 39" is preferably somewhat less thanthe cross-section area of the hose 37, whereby the flow of air throughthe slots may be uniformly distributed across the head during an inflowor outflow of air with respect to the nozzle.

A rectangular drawer 41 for collecting hair trimmings received throughthe hose 37 is removably mounted in the lower casing cavity 25 beneaththe relatively narrow left-side upper cavity 23, said drawer beingslidably supported on and from the under side of the partition 21 forits removal or displacement through an opening 42 provided in the frontcasing wall 15. The drawer front member 43 has a bounding edge portionwhich laps the edges of the opening 42 whereby said edge portion mayengage the outer face of the front wall 15 about the opening as a stopfor limiting the insertion of the drawer within the casing, and saidfront drawer member 43 mounts a suitable push-and-pull knob 44 :for usein mounting or dismounting the drawer with respect to the casing. Thefront 43 and sides 45 and inner end 46 of the drawer are imperforate,and the drawer bottom 47 is provided with an interior opening 48 acrosswhich one or more suitable screening and/or filtering elements aresupported on the drawer bottom portions bounding the opening 48. Inpractice, a relatively stiff wire screen element 49 is directlysupported on the drawer bottom 47 for supporting one or more suitablehair-catching anddustfiltering pads 51 for cleaning air passingdownwardly into and through the drawer from an opening 52 which isprovided in the partition 21 above the location for the inserted drawer.

It will now be noted that the removable rear casing wall 16 is providedwith a plurality of openings 54 in its portion which defines the rearside of the cavity 24, and is also provided with an opening 55 in linewith the cavity 23. Strips of suitable material seal the mounted rearwall 16 with respect to the rear edges of the casing walls 14 and 17 and18 and 19, and also the rear edges of the partitions 21 and 22, againstthe passage of air at the lines of abutment of the rear wall 16 withsaid casing parts. The openings 54 are arranged for the pressuredischarge of air therethrough from the casing, and an air-pervious pad56 of fiberglass or other suitable material is fixed across saidopenings for further filtering out dust or bacteria while providing anecessary back-pressure thereat. The opening 55 is usable for the intakeof air with respect to the lower cavity 25, and may be provided with aprotective wire screen 57 of open mesh thereat.

The rearward portion of the casing space 23 opposite the rear wallopening 55 has a part thereof partitioned off from the remainder of thespace, as by a partition 58 extending obliquely upwardly and rearwardlyfrom the bottom of the space 23 and between the end wall 17 and theupright partition 22, to define a space 59 of triangular prism formabove an opening 60 through the partition 21. A U-shaped bafiie member61 has its sides extending upwardly from the partition 21 about theopening 52 with its open side opposite the front casing opening 36 andits bottom generally enclosing the forward partition opening 52, andhaving its top spaced from the casing top wall 19. Also, the uprightpartition 22 is provided with a rectangular opening 62 at a pointthereof between the rear side of the bafiie member 61 and the partition58, said opening being utilized, when desired, to connect the spaces 23and 24 above the partition 21 and forwardly of the partition 58.

In the use of the present machine for its intended purposes, the port orpassage provided by the opening 52 above the installed drawer 41 isarranged to be open when the openings 60 and 62 are closed, and viceversa. Accordingly, a unitary slide gate assembly 64 is provided forcontrolling said openings by the use of a positioning stem 65 slidablyand guidedly extended to it from a positioning knob 66 disposed in frontof the casing and engaged through a guide opening 67 provided in thefront casing wall 15. As is brought out in FIGURE 8, the present slideassembly 64 essentially comprises perpendicularly and fixedly relatedhorizontal and upright slide plates 68 and 69 which are suitably guidedfor a foreand-aft adjustment between limiting positions thereof alongthe partitions '21 and 22 in fiat engagement therewith. As is broughtout in FIGURE 9, the plate 68 is slidably engaged between the partition21 and a fixed horizontal bottom extension 22 of the upright partition22 which is provided with openings 52 and 60 registering with theunderlying openings 52 and 60.

The relation of the plate 68 to the openings 52 and 60 of the partition21 is essentially such that these openings are alternately open andclosed when the valve assembly 64 is in its limited rearward and forwardpositions respectively, An intermediate upright slot 70 in the uprightportion 69 of the slide gate unit 64 is arranged to fully register withthe opening 62 in the partition 22 when the valve assembly is disposedin its limiting forward position. The mounting stem 65 of the controlknob 66 is suitably fixed to the forward edge of the plate 69 by itsengagement with an ear 71 extending transversely and rigidly from theplate, it being noted that said plate is held in guided relation againstthe side of the partition 22 in the space 24 by laterally spaced uprightstem members 72 extending rigidly from the partition 21. It will beunderstood that intermediate settings of the slide valve 64 provide fora variable control of the fiow into or from the hose 37 through anintermediate position in which neither suction nor pressure exist in thehose, all without interfering, with the air-circulation duty of theoperating motor-blower unit.

It will now be noted that when the flow-control opening 52 is open andthe flow-control openings 60 and 62 are closed by reason of a rearwardpositioning of the slide gate assembly 64, the operating motor-blowerunit is arranged to produce a suction condition at the hose nozzle 39whereby the application of the nozzle at a working point effects thesuction removal of all loose material thereat for its retained depositin the drawer 41 for discharging only cleaned air from the filter-closedcasing openings 54. On the other hand, when the slide gate unit 64 ispulled forwardly to the permitted limit, the opening 52 is closed andthe openings 60 and 62 simultaneously opened, whereby atmospheric airreceived in the casing through the opening 55 is delivered by way of theblower unit to the hose 37 by reason of its permitted passage from theblower unit through the opening 62 and over the baffle 61 into the hoseat the effective pressure generated by the blower 28. It will thus beunderstood that a present suction and blowing unit is reversible as toits suction and blowing functions without requiring the use of areversible motor, and solely under control of a positioning of the slidevalve member 64.

Means are preferably provided for heating the air as it is forced by theoperating blower through the opening 62 and into the hose 37 to therebyprovide a drying airstream. As particularly brought out in FIGURES 2 and6 and 8, the valve-guide stems 72 provide a support for an electricheating unit 73 comprising a resistance wire 74 mounted on and about asuitable ccntrally-apertured fiat core 75 which is disposed opposite theopening 62 and within the space 25 for energizing to heat the airpassing through and by it into said opening. Preferably, and as shown, atelltale lamp 76 is provided on the casing for viewing at the front ofthe unit for energizing when the heating unit 73 is energized by theclosing of a control switch for the heater, said lamp being connected inparallel with the energized heating unit for its lighting when theheating circuit is closed.

As is indicated in the wiring diagram of FIGURE 10, and in FIGURES l and6, electric power for operating the motor and heater of the present unitmay be conveniently supplied to a suitable circuit within the casing 13through a two-wire extension cord 77 arranged for its attachment to apower outlet by a usual attachment plug 78. The powendistributingcircuit within the casing is arrange to supply the motor through a snapswitch 79 mounted on the front casing wall 15 and arranged for itsmanual control by a setting arm 80 extending outwardly from said wall.Power for energizing the heating coil 73 is controlled through a snapswitch 81 in a branch circuit connected in parallel with the motor powercircuit, said switch also being mounted on the front casing wall 15 andbeing controlled by an arm 82 extending from said wall, and the telltalelamp 76 is arranged for its energizing only while the heating-controlswitch 81 is closed. As is brought out in FIGURES l and 6, a platemember 83 is mounted at the front of the wall 15, has the switch arms 80and 82 extending therefrom, provides a sight opening for the lamp 76,and further provides a transversely outstanding forked portion 85 forsupporting the hose nozzle 39 when the present unit is not being used.It will be understood that the provision for an independent setting ofthe motorcontrol switch 79 and the heater-control switch 81 provides fora use of the present unit as a blower with or without reflecting aheating of the discharged airstrearn, with the branch heater circuitpreferably energizable only while the switch 79 is closed.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the advantages of the present portable suctionand-blower unitwill be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which theinvention appertains. While I have shown and described a structure andoperative arrangement which I now consider to be a preferred embodimentof my invention, I desire to have it understood that the showings areprimarily illustrative, and that such changes and developments may bemade, when desired, as fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a combined hair-collecting and hair-drying machine, a casinghaving an air-inlet opening and an airdischarge opening and ahose-connection opening in upright casing sides at a common upper casinglevel, a partition intermediately and horizontally dividing the casingspace below the level of said casing openings and provided with anupright opening therethrough, a motor-blower unit operative in saidpartition opening and having its intake below said partition to providefor a solely upward air flow along the unit and through the opening, anair hose having one end thereof connected at the hose-connection openingand arranged for the application of its other end at a working point,means in the casing space defining a passage to said hose-connectionopening from said air-inlet opening, means in the casing space defininga passage from said hose-connection opening to said airdischargeopening, and a common flow-control valve means constantly operative insaid passages and alternatively settahle to connect said hose-connectionopening with the air-inlet opening or to connect said hose-connectionopening with the air-discharge opening while closing the air-inletopening.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the passage to and from thehose-connection opening are respectively provided with an air-heatingmeans and an air-filtering means at the blower side of the valve means.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the valve means utilizes a singlemovable member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS913,966 Mohr Mar. 2, 1909 1,703,551 Singer Feb. 26, 1929 2,189,430McClure Feb. 6, 1940 2,416,419 Pickford Feb. 25, 1947 2,576,368 SteinerNov. 27, 1951 2,668,315 Crosby Feb. 9, 1954

